Improvement in fences



* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HATFIELD, OF OGDEN,ASSIGNOB TO HIMSELF AND JOHN WALL,

Y OF FALMOUTH, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCES.

Speciication forming part of LettersPatent No. 37,372, datedV January 6,1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .IAMEs HATEIELD, of Ogden, county of Henry, andState of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fences;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspectiveview of4 a portion of fence, showing how it may be erected forpermanence or portability. Fig. 2 is a View of the post, showing theslot in the bottom for the reception of the foot-braces. Fig. 3 is aview of the post and foot stay or brace used when the panels are joinedin a permanent fence. Fig. 4 is a view of two posts and the foot-braceused in making a portable fence. Fig. 5 is a view of the post andfoot-brace and key la, used in the middle of the panel of either thepermanent or portable fence.

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing the foot stays orbraces and posts of fences as for the greater part to use the two lowerboards of the fence for the purpose of locking the bottoms of the postssecurely into the foot stays or braces, whereby a strong and cheapfenceis produced that may be used either for permanent or portablepurposes.

Similar letters of'reference indicate correspondin g parts in theseveral figures.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe it.

In constructing my fence any common fencing boards may be used even forthe posts, though I would recommend that they be thicker, to hold a nailwell, the foot stays or braces being of such width and thickness as maybe deemed sufficient to hold the fence up firmly. The posts P P P areslotted at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive the foot-stays orbraces B B B, which are notched, as shown in the drawings, so that thelower two boards, s s, Ste., in each panel will key the posts to thefoot-stays, except in the middle of a panel, where a small piece of thefencing-boards are used as a key, as shown at k, Figs. l and 5. Thefoot-stay B is used when two panels are joined for the erection of A aportable fence, as shown by the double posts P in Figs. l and 4, andmust, of course, have the notches cut wide enough to receive both postsand the two bottom boards of each panel, these lower boards keying theposts rmly into the foot-braces.

The manner of 'erecting a permanent fence is clearly shownpat P', Figs.l and 3, one post only being used. All the boards, except those used askeys in portable fences, are nailed to the posts.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The manner of keying the poststo the foot stays or braces by means ofthe two bottom boardsof each panel, as shown and described.

JAMES HATFIELD. Witnesses:

O. F. MAYHEW, EDM. F. BEowri.

